The Miami Hurricanes' weapon in Malachi Toney isn't a secret, but still extremely dangerous.
There's a great list of talented freshman players who will get their first taste of the College Football Playoffs in the upcoming weeks, but none of them compares to Malachi Toney. The 18-year-old wide receiver did anything and everything for the Miami Hurricanes.
He finished the season with 84 catches for 970 receiving yards, which set a new program record by a freshman, along with seven touchdowns. Toney also rushed 17 times for 89 yards, including a touchdown. With special teams, he caught 13 punt returns for 187 yards.
If that wasn't impressive enough, the three-star recruit completed four passes for 82 yards, including two touchdowns.
Toney has been marvelously impressive for the Hurricanes this season, which resulted in receiving ACC Rookie and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. There was no other freshman in the nation playing to the same level. If the team wishes to make a run at the National Championship, Toney will have to provide a bigger impact than he already has.
However, the current focus is on the first-round matchup: the Texas A&M Aggies. Defensively, their main identity has been within the line of scrimmage. The team's linemen finished the regular season with 41 sacks, which tied for first in the nation, alongside the Oklahoma Sooners. The goal will be to disrupt Carson Beck, but what's the game plan for Toney?
Mike Elko alluded to the difficulty of scheming for a player who can do nearly everything:
"What an unbelievably talented football player," he said. "They move him all around. They're very creative in how to get him the football. He's electric when he gets it in his hands. For a young kid, he runs routes exceptionally well. He makes contested catches. He's an absolute dude of a young player and certainly will grow into a top-five pick, I'm sure, before this thing is all over. When you can't identify where he's going to be all the time, obviously, that makes it a lot more challenging for a defense to find ways to leverage him and corral him."
Toney has grown out of the gate in his first collegiate season and will be a "handful" for any defensive back or safety assigned to cover him. He's generated his own gravitational pull, which creates space in the field for others to execute.
The Hurricanes struck a diamond with him and have a few other freshmen that can provide a similar impact, which speaks highly of the team's depth.
The College Football Playoff stage is set to take place at College Station, Texas, on Dec. 20th at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
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